MENTION Mabini, Batangas and instantly, scuba diving comes to mind. The municipality has been synonymous with scuba diving, being the birthplace of this underwater recreational sport.
Situated within the world’s so-called Coral Triangle, Mabini has the most diverse concentration of the planet’s marine biodiversity and has 48 dive sites which boasts of a wide diversity of corals, reef fish, bottom fish and pelagic fishes, rare critters, nudibranchs, and an assortment of aquatic animals.
Popularly referred to as “Anilao,” this dive haven refers to the vast body of water embracing the coastal villages of Mabini, Bauan and San Luis towns, and the island municipality of Tingloy.
Acclaimed as the planet’s second top macro diving destination, it has been declared by the Department of Tourism as the site of the Underwater Photo Competition Festival which draws the world’s celebrated underwater photographers.
But aside from diving, there a vast array of the activities for a consummate getaway, such as snorkeling, island hopping, kayaking, glass bottom boat cruising, and fishing.
Watersports aficionados can also level up and try their hand in windsurfing, free diving and mermaid swimming.
Mountain biking and trekking are the land-based activities one can try, while foodies can go resort-hopping to try out the international and local food offerings, including the homegrown eateries.
This virtual buffet of natural wonders and things to do has made Mabini a wondrous waterworld just above two hours away from the metropolis.
But the year 2020 is unlike any other year, and the province will soon be affected by the Taal Volcano eruption, the prolonged quarantine due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and destructive typhoons which destroyed hundreds of houses and fishing and dive boats in the coastal barangays.
The double-whammy brought by the typhoons sent the once lucrative diving industry literally diving to the abyss, displacing workers dependent on tourism. But with the barako and resilient character Batangueños are known for, the townsfolk swam against the tide to bring some semblance of normalcy into their lives.
A ray of hope flickered when the government allowed the restart of diving activities under stringent health protocols in mid-October.
Soon enough, divers were trooping to Mabini to be reunited with their beloved underwater kingdom, and began stimulating the local economy.
Just recently, Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo Puyat visited Mabini to express support for the continued development of dive tourism in the town.
“The DOT is hard at work not only for the slow but sure reopening of our destinations, but also on the persistent but guarded development of the dive tourism industry,” said Puyat, who also chairs the Philippine Commission on Sports Scuba Diving (PCSSD), which implements the standards in dive tourism.
Puyat encouraged the business sector, specifically the dive establishment operators, to uphold health and safety protocols, to prepare the industry under the new normal. She also lauded the lowered cost of the RT-PCR test requirement to lure back tourists.
The PCSSD has also waived the accreditation fees for dive establishments and professionals to help them get back on their feet.
Since opening up in October, the DOT regional office has issued 51 provisional certificates of authority to operate to dive establishments.
Outside help to households and marginal workers has been streaming in from the municipal government, private institutions and kind-hearted during the quarantine and post-typhoon periods.
Among the private groups which has been a steady source of assistance to the community is the Metro Pacific Investment Foundation, the corporate social responsibility arm of the Manny Pangilinan Group of Companies. To liven up the gloomy Christmas mood, it recently mounted a Noche Buena gift-giving activity with One Meralco Foundation and Alagang Kapatid Foundation of TV5 for the affected boatmen and personnel of dive resorts which are yet to reopen.
Metro Pacific established its presence in 2009 in Mabini when it founded Shore It Up program which promotes marine biodiversity conservation through coral restoration, laying of mooring buoys, underwater and coastal cleanup, community empowerment, and environmental education for schoolchildren.
The Foundation also pledged seed money to the cooperative to be organized by the community to assist townsfolk in its road to recovery.
Just like the revolutionary hero it was named after, Mabini will hurdle the challenges it is facing and bounce back to its lofty position as the archipelago’s haven for scuba diving.
Image credits: Bernard L. Supetran